Truth and Grief
by ALynnL
Summary: After the events of "Interesting Times," Twoflower recalls one day with his departed wife, Tiger Lily. In this window to his past, he learns the meaning of white chrysanthemums. They are flowers which are carried by the grieving. Their pure color symbolizes the truth spoken to those in the next world.
1. A Simpler Time

_**Author's Notes**_

This fic is dedicated to my dear friend Mikayla, who listened to my ideas for hours on end and encouraged me to go forward with writing this. With her encouragement, this story was possible.

Ever since I read Terry Pratchett's _Interesting Times_, I had to write a story about Twoflower and his wife. The flashback takes place before they were married. Since Twoflower's wife didn't get a name in the book, I've named her "Tiger Lily" for this story. I hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Rated K+ for the theme of grief, but otherwise it's not explicit.

* * *

**Part I: A Simpler Time**

In a simpler time and a simpler place, Twoflower clutched a couple of white flowers in his hand. He held them lightly, careful not to ruin their delicate petals. Twoflower whistled a song as he walked along the streets of Bes Pelargic, probably not realizing he was carrying a tune until passers-by began to stare at him. In response, he simply smiled and waved. People didn't stare unless they wanted to be greeted. That was a simple fact.

Just up ahead, a young woman sat on a wooden park bench. She had been under a cherry blossom tree throwing out bread crumbs to ducks in the nearby river. Her hair was neatly pinned up, and today she wore a black robe adorned in golden floral designs. Twoflower knew the woman would be here. She had always come here to the river at this time of day, to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature. This park was always the best place to get away from the noise and the hurry of the city.

"Tiger Lily!" Twoflower called the woman's name, holding up the flowers in his hand. "I brought you a surprise! Aren't they lovely?"

Tiger Lily jumped, startled by the man's sudden appearance. "Twoflower!" she exclaimed. "What have I told you about-" she paused. Two things stopped her speech in its tracks: Twoflower's big grin and what he held in his hands.

Twoflower kept smiling. He pushed the flowers forward. "Go on, take them." he said, urging her. "I found them in a shop on the way here. I thought they were perfect." he added happily.

Tiger Lily took the white flowers into her hands gingerly, twirling them as she spoke. "They're..." she paused, as if trying to find the right words. "They're very lovely, Twoflower." she told him. "But don't you know what they mean?"

"Flowers are flowers, aren't they?" Twoflower asked, taking a seat next to Lily. "I thought they all meant the same thing!"

"Flowers have their own language." Lily told him. "With a name like yours, I'm surprised you don't know."

"My mother and sister always tended the garden! I spent my time inside writing poetry." Twoflower said honestly. "What do they mean, anyway?"

"These are white chrysanthemums." she stated. Lily sighed as she continued to speak. "They're flowers for those saying the final farewell. They have the purest color, showing the truth spoken by those left behind."

Twoflower grew silent. Since he could remember, everything in his life went the best way possible. Funerals were very rare. In his childhood, his grandparents passed on, but his parents and sister were still alive and well. To Twoflower, death was something that happened to other people, but surely wouldn't happen to himself or those dearest to him. It would have been far too tragic.

"I didn't mean to pick the wrong flowers." Twoflower said when he could finally bring himself to speak. His perpetual smile had fallen into a frown. "I thought they just looked pretty. I didn't know they were a way to say goodbye-"

"Roses on the other hand, are what people normally give to loved ones." Tiger Lily explained, still twirling the chrysanthemums between her fingers. "You at least knew_ that_, didn't you?"

"I don't know why people think roses are romantic." Twoflower said, his frown remaining for longer than usual. He overturned his left hand, looking at it for a moment. "When you pick them up, they just stick you with thorns." he said.

"You didn't _actually_ grab them-" Lily began.

"I tried." Twoflower told her.

"Let me see." Tiger Lily said as she took Twoflower's hand into both of hers. On two of the man's fingers, there were small, dark red sores. The lady let out a tiny gasp. "My goodness, Twoflower! Are these wounds fresh?" she asked in alarm.

Twoflower gently pulled his hand away from hers. "Don't worry about me, Lily! They're just a couple of little pokes." he said innocently. "The nice man at the shop put some ointment on them."

"And you _trusted_ him?" Tiger Lily snapped. "What if he thought you were stealing his roses? That 'ointment' could have left you without a hand!"

"It was just a little aloe vera." Twoflower told her innocently. "He knew I wasn't stealing."

"You should be more careful." Lily said, huffing. In an instant, she scowled. Tiger Lily let go of Twoflower's hands, pulling away from him. She folded her arms across her chest in one fast, irritated motion. "I don't understand why you're always doing such worrisome things. Where would you be if I wasn't here to look after you?"

"I would never have to think about that, would I?" Twoflower asked her. He gave Tiger Lily a hopeful gaze, like a kitten in a pet store that wanted a new home.

Tiger Lily gazed at Twoflower. Although the man's usual smile returned to his face, something about his eyes gave off a different vibe. He didn't have the look of the cheerful man she always met by the river, but of a man who was desperate not to hear something awful, almost pleading for good news. It had been one of the first times Lily had seen Twoflower show a sign of distress. She drew in closer to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"Don't worry, Twoflower. I could never leave you." she told him. "You're always so kind. And that big smile always makes everyone's day so much brighter. Even mine."

Twoflower leaned into her, grinning contently. His subtle sign of worry all but vanished as he looked into Tiger Lily's dark brown eyes. "It's not hard to find a reason to smile. I think you should try it."

"Right now?" asked Tiger Lily.

"I don't see why not." Twoflower told her.

Tiger Lily chuckled, curling a strand of Twoflower's hair around her index finger. "I think you do enough smiling for the both of us." she told him.

Twoflower rose up from the bench, flashing his usual grin in Lily's direction. "That's nonsense!" he exclaimed. "Only you could smile for yourself, Lily."

"I..." Tiger Lily hesitated to speak, and then simply shook her head. "I can't! I'd look ridiculous. And besides, there really is no reason to."

"You wouldn't look ridiculous! You'd look beautiful." Twoflower said, taking Lily's hands into his own. "And there are plenty of reasons!"

"Name one." Lily said. Her cheeks reddened when Twoflower held her hands.

"We get to spend another evening together." said Twoflower. "Isn't that enough?"

"Well..." Tiger Lily hesitated to speak. The world around her seemed to freeze. She saw nothing but the face of Twoflower, the ever eternal optimist, who even smiled when he was hurt. Lily felt nothing but his hands in hers, along with the soft breeze that danced around them. She leaned forward, pressing her lips against Twoflower's cheek. "It's enough." Tiger Lily whispered softly in his ear. "That's always been enough."

Just as quickly as she kissed him, Tiger Lily drew back, with her fingers still entwined with Twoflower's. The lady tried to smile, just as brightly as the man in front of her. No one could possibly upstage Twoflower in such an act. The most she could manage was a tiny, lopsided grin, one that was expressive by her standards.

"See, I knew you could smile!" Twoflower exclaimed happily. "I know one day, it won't be so lopsided either. It will be wide, just like mine."

Tiger Lily let out a modest chuckle. "We'll see about that." she said.

For a moment longer she held onto Twoflower's hands, but she slowly, gently let go. Lily returned to the bag of bread crumbs, reaching into it and casting the rest of its contents out into the river. Both her and Twoflower watched as the ducks sped toward it, each one trying to nibble their own little piece.

The skies were reflected in the sparkling, flowing water. The shades of orange, deeper red, and black were painted across the horizon, showing in the wispy evening clouds. Twoflower let out a dreamy sigh as he looked up from the water, toward the direction of the sunset. He placed a hand over Tiger Lily's shoulder, pointing upwards.

"Look at that. It's another beauty, isn't it?" he said.

"It's sunset already, huh?" Tiger Lily followed Twoflower's gaze upwards. "I didn't know it was so late. We should both be getting home soon."

"Oh, I guess we should." Twoflower said, lowering his gaze back to Lily's face. "This seems to happen sooner every day." he told her. "Sometimes I wish the sun would never go down."

"We can always meet here again." Tiger Lily told him. "Same time, same place." she added, taking the chrysanthemums she had set down earlier.

"Oh, could we?" Twoflower asked hopefully. "I won't be a second late! I'll make it a promise!" The man held out his pinky. "Can you swear on it too, Lily? Just for me?"

A pinky promise? That was something Tiger Lily only did with her parents or her cousin when she was a child, to show that she wasn't telling a lie. To see a grown man hold out his little finger in hopes of a promise was... well, if he were anyone else than Twoflower, Tiger Lily would have called him a fool. But he was different. Somehow, he was special. In front of him, she wanted to do the unthinkable. She had told him secrets, shared an embrace, a kiss - Lily might have even wanted to share the rest of her life with this strange man who was always smiling.

Lily held out her finger. "I can keep a promise. I'll be here at the usual time." she said. She wrapped her pinky around his. The lady managed her normal, lopsided smile. "You said you wouldn't be a second late. I'll be counting, Twoflower!"

"I'll be there." Twoflower said, withdrawing his finger from hers. "And next time, I won't bring a flower that says goodbye."

Tiger Lily tucked the chrysanthemums behind one ear, letting out a small giggle. "Maybe chrysanthemums don't always have to be about grief. They also speak the truth, Twoflower." Just like you do, she thought.

Twoflower gave Tiger Lily a big wave, and then started to walk along the path that would lead to his home. "I'll see you tomorrow! And on Octeday, we'll spend a night under the stars."

"I'll see you later!" Tiger Lily replied, giving a wave of her own. "And I'll be there Octeday for sure!" she added. She shouted the words loud and proud. They were definitely a promise.

_~ To Be Continued_


	2. Speaking the Truth

**Part II: Speaking the Truth**

Many years later, in the time we call the "present," Twoflower walked a rather familiar street in Bes Pelargic. So much had changed, but thankfully many things stayed the same. The scent of the food, the sounds of the people's walking and talking, and the taste of sea salt in the air made him feel welcome in the way the capital could not. Some people actually waved to Twoflower because they knew him, not because he was the Grand Vizier. This city would always feel like home.

A fragrance drifted into his nose, causing Twoflower to stop in his tracks and walk backwards. When a wooden flower stand came into view, he knew then what the scent must have been. He turned on his heels. Twoflower headed in the opposite direction of his sister's house, where he was supposed to be spending the night.

These were it.

White chrysanthemums. They were a pure white flower to show the truth, that which the grieving often said to the departed. Twoflower took the flowers into his hands. He grasped two of them, smelling them up close. For a moment he wasn't here on this busy street. Twoflower was back in the park, sitting in front of the river, talking to Tiger Lily about his day at work, his sister who had so little in common with him, and about the sunset that painted the sky in so many beautiful, vibrant colors.

Snapping out of his reverie, Twoflower shook his head. He tried to push the memories into the back of his mind, where he felt they belonged. Such memories left him feeling faint, and a tiny little ache would worm its way into his heart. There was an empty space there. There had been a void inside for six years now.

Twoflower shoved his jaded thoughts harder to the side. He twirled two healthy, blooming white chrysanthemums in his hand, managing a half-grin as he looked upon them. With his free hand, he fished into his pocket.

Twoflower offered two Agatean gold coins, along with as much of his usual smile as he could muster to the vendor. "Hello! I just want two of these. I'll pay 6 rhinu, but you can keep the change." he said, holding out the money in his hand.

The shopkeeper looked dumbfounded. Whether it was this little man's insisting on overpaying him, or the big grin on his face, something seemed awry. The smile was definitely off, for starters. "Sir, you do realize what those flowers mean, don't you?" the vendor asked cautiously.

"Every flower speaks to us with its own language." Twoflower said. "These are white chrysanthemums... the flowers pure of color. They tell the truth."

"Not everyone knows how flowers talk to us." the vendor complemented, nodding. "You must have been taught by someone special."

"Yes." Twoflower answered simply, nodding in return. "She was very special. I picked these out just for her."

"Ah..." The man at the flower cart shut his eyes, bowing his head in understanding. "She will be very happy with them, I'm sure. Thank you for your business, kind sir."

"I should thank you for having my dear Tiger Lily's favorite!" Twoflower replied. He showed the shopkeep his smile one more time as he dropped the coins into his hand. "I should hurry and visit her. I promised I wouldn't be a second late."

x-x-x-x

In front of a gravestone, Twoflower placed the white chrysanthemums side-by-side. He got down on his knees, shutting his eyes and trying to picture the face of the one he mourned. He could see her now - with her hands on her hips, a scowl across her face, looking as if she wanted to give him some kind of lecture. That was Tiger Lily - his Tiger Lily. She often saw the worst in people and the rest of the world, unless she was around him to see the best.

"I'm here, Tiger Lily." he said.

"And you're late this time." Tiger Lily's voice came into his mind, and the image of the woman he loved formed itself before him. She was wearing the same dark robe as a certain day many years ago, with her hair pinned up, and her lips covered in rouge. Her hands were folded across her chest. "You promised you would be here sooner. Where have you been, Twoflower?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be late." Twoflower said, letting out a small sigh. "A lot has happened since the last time we saw each other. First of all, I ended up in prison."

"Prison?! What on the Disc did you do?"

"I wrote a book about the things I saw when I traveled the world! I got it published soon after." Twoflower told her. "The next thing I know, the palace guards were knocking on my door."

"Well, of course they were! It's one thing to travel, Twoflower, but you don't actually _write_ about it." Tiger Lily waved her pointer finger in the air, and then turned her head the other way.

"I didn't want to cause any trouble!" Twoflower exclaimed. "I just thought people would like reading it. I didn't think I'd actually get arrested! And I didn't think Butterfly and Blossom would start up a rebellion either!"

"Our daughters did what-"

"Oh, it was a wonderful thing they did. They put up posters and made up slogans." Twoflower said. "They brought us back the Great Wizard too!"

"The Great Wizard and the Red Army were just fairy tales, Twoflower." his wife's voice said. "Didn't we promise to be honest with each other?"

"I'm telling the truth! The Great Wizard turned out to be Rincewind!" Twoflower's voice grew excited as he spoke, and his grin grew wider. Even so, it was still lopsided. "He freed me from my cell. Then he saved Cohen from certain death!"

"Rincewind?" Tiger Lily said the name as if trying to recall it. "Wasn't he your tour guide in Ankh-Morpork? More importantly, didn't he say he was no good at actual magic?"

"Oh, but he did some fantastic magic!" Twoflower exclaimed. "Rincewind acted like he was going to run away, but then he called the _real_ Red Army. It was quite impressive! He let all the warlords' soldiers have it!"

"What happened after that?" Tiger Lily wondered. "How come the Great Wizard didn't stay to meet me?"

"Well…" Twoflower's voice suddenly dropped. "After he called the invincible Red Army, I found Lord Hong, the man who took you away from me. He captured Rincewind, so I challenged him to a duel. I stood up to him because _someone_ had to."

"That was a foolish thing to do! How are you still standing here?!"

"At the time I wasn't thinking about my own safety." Twoflower said seriously, his eyes narrowing as he continued to tell his story. "I just wanted to show Lord Hong that we'd had enough of him and the other warlords' feuds! You and I were good people living a modest life. We never did anything to upset him and yet, he..." The little man shut his eyes, trying to resist the urge to let any tears out. Twoflower clenched his fists so hard, that his knuckles turned white. "He _let_ that battle spill over to where _innocent_ people stayed, Lily! If I didn't stand up to him, it would never end!"

"So you defeated him by some stroke of luck? That's the only thing I could think of!"

"Oh, no. His end was quick, and it wasn't my doing." Twoflower said. "Rincewind must have done something. Just as I was going to swing my sword, a Barking Dog appeared right behind him. And it went off!" Twoflower drew his hands apart in a large, dramatic motion. "Boom! The fireworks were quite amazing. It's a shame that Rincewind disappeared after that. I never got to thank him for doing what I should have done."

"No one asked you to fight, Twoflower! You're not a soldier, you're a clerk!"

"I know that." Twoflower said. "But I had to try anyway. No one else would have."

"Twoflower, are you sure you weren't just after revenge?" Tiger Lily's voice asked him.

"I thought about revenge at the time, among other things." Twoflower told her, still holding his fists tightly. "Although Lord Hong is gone, I still curse his name and his ancestors before I sleep! It's an awful thing to do, but I could never forget would he did. I don't think I could forgive him either, even in the afterlife."

"I could never ask you to forget. It's hard for me to forgive too, but I want you to do one thing Twoflower." Lily's voice echoed in his mind. "Smile for me."

"I can't smile anymore! It's not the same as back then. You were actually _here_ before and now I just have your memory!" Twoflower said as he shook his head. "I couldn't smile in front of your grave anyway. It would look disrespectful."

"It's more disrespectful to turn the other cheek when I'm speaking." Tiger Lily's voice snapped. The image Twoflower formed in his mind put her hands on her hips, and drew her face closer to his. He quickly drew back. "I _know_ you could smile for me." Lily said. "You have to try."

"No, I really can't do that." Twoflower muttered as he looked upwards. There were a few passers-by on a nearby sidewalk, and another mourner who was praying at a distant grave. "People would stare." the man reasoned.

"When people stare, they're just asking for a greeting, aren't they?" Tiger Lily insisted. "Come on, Twoflower. If you could try fighting, you could try _smiling_."

"Ah, I…" Twoflower hesitated to speak, getting himself upright. "I could do my best."

It took some effort. At first, Twoflower couldn't bring his lips to curve upwards at all, and he wound up wearing a straight face. With a little more time, he managed a tiny, lopsided grin. Going any further than that would have probably been beyond him. It was a strain just to hold the expression he had now.

"I'm sorry Lily. This is all I could do." he said.

"That's all I used to do." she said with a small chuckle. "I'm sure some day, you'll smile full and bright. I just know it."

"Do you think so?" Twoflower asked her. "When we were younger, you said my smile was annoying. Why are things different now?"

"I want you to be happy." Lily stated. "I was only annoyed because I saw the world differently. I had my reasons, but they were my problems. A man who smiles isn't always a fool though. You taught me that."

"Someday, I'll truly smile again." Twoflower told her. The little man held up his pinky in the air. "I can promise you."

Lily's image wrapped her own little finger around his. "I expect you to keep all your promises, you know."

"When it comes to promises, I never break the important ones." Twoflower told her sincerely. "You'll be here to see my smile when I'm ready, won't you?"

"No matter where you are, I'll always be with you. I love you, Twoflower."

"I..." Twoflower paused. "I love you too, Lily. I miss you."

"You don't have to miss me. I'll always be in the same place."

"You mean here..." Twoflower muttered the words, staring listlessly at the gravestone before him.

"No." The image of his departed wife stepped closer to him. She placed her hand over the man's heart. "I'll always be _here_."

Twoflower placed his hand over his own heart. Its steady beat was a calming rhythm in a world that had changed so fast. Could one truly carry a spirit within this part of themselves? If so, did they see everything? Did they hear it all? Twoflower wasn't sure if it was true, but he didn't want to be sure. He wanted to believe, just as he'd had faith in his friends and hope for his country's future. To him, the cold hard truth didn't have to matter so much. As long as he saw the world as a bright and happy place, it would always remain that way.

"Lily will be in my heart. She'll watch over me, even as I wear the Grand Vizier's hat and move away from our hometown. I have to believe that." Twoflower thought. His mind didn't want to present an alternative.

"Lily, I have to go." Twoflower said, rising up from his knees. He looked out toward the road for a moment, before clasping his hands together and facing his wife's grave. "I've been making a lot of promises lately. My sister wouldn't like it if I missed another birthday party." he added sheepishly, a slight blush coming to his cheeks.

"I see. Well, you better hurry then." Tiger Lily shook her head one more time, and gave a lopsided smile of her own. "My sister-in-law is probably still a handful."

"You're right, she hasn't changed. But I don't mind it much." Twoflower told her. He held up his hand, giving a small, casual wave as he turned his back. "I know I'll see you again really soon." Twoflower told her. "And as always, I'll bring the white chrysanthemums."

"You'd better keep your word, Twoflower!" she exclaimed. "Especially about the flowers. They're my favorite, after all."

Twoflower dared to turn around. For a moment he thought he saw Tiger Lily standing solidly. She almost seemed real enough not to be transparent. She waved back at him, but then vanished into thin air. There was nothing there. The place had been vacant his whole visit, but that wouldn't stop Twoflower's imagination.

"I'll remember to come back as long as I live, Lily. I could never forget you." Twoflower said.

Twoflower grew misty-eyed in a matter of minutes. A few of his tears escaped his eyes, trailing down his cheeks. The man sniffled once before he realized what was happening. He quickly lifted up his sleeve to wipe his face.

It was better this time. With every visit, the weight within Twoflower's heart grew lighter, and he would feel less of a lump in his throat. The tears still came when it was time to go. That probably wouldn't change.

As he walked the streets of Bes Pelargic, Twoflower left behind the cemetery. He stepped closer to the hustle and bustle of the afternoon crowds, making his way to his sister's house. Although Tiger Lily was no longer here to walk beside him, Twoflower knew he had to continue forward. He had a family, and now a country that needed him more than ever. So many were counting on him.

"I have to live on like Lily would have wanted me to." Twoflower thought. "There will be a lot of hard work ahead of me, and I know some days won't be easy. But I know it will all work out in the end. It always does."

Twoflower was certain that he just had to take it one step at a time.

_**~ Fin**_


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